U.S. patent application number 16/217832 was filed with the patent office on 2019-06-27 for resin back door for vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA. The applicant listed for this patent is TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KYUSHU KABUSHIKI KAISHA. Invention is credited to Kenji CHIBA, Kiyokazu NITTA, Takayuki OKUBO.
Application Number | 20190193535 16/217832 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66768427 |
Filed Date | 2019-06-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190193535 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHIBA; Kenji ; et
al. |
June 27, 2019 |
RESIN BACK DOOR FOR VEHICLE
Abstract
When a resin back door closes a door opening, a design surface
of an inner vertical wall on the inner side in a vehicle width
direction is substantially flush with a design surface of an inner
garnish attached to the inner periphery of the door opening.
Inventors: |
CHIBA; Kenji; (Tokai-shi,
JP) ; OKUBO; Takayuki; (Toyota-shi, JP) ;
NITTA; Kiyokazu; (Miyoshi-shi, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KYUSHU KABUSHIKI KAISHA |
Toyota-shi
Miyawaka-shi |
|
JP
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI
KAISHA
Toyota-shi
JP
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KYUSHU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Miyawaka-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
66768427 |
Appl. No.: |
16/217832 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J 5/101 20130101;
B60J 5/107 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60J 5/10 20060101
B60J005/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 21, 2017 |
JP |
2017-245372 |
Claims
1. A resin back door for a vehicle for opening and closing a door
opening at a body rear end portion, the resin back door comprising
a resin inner panel including a window frame portion for a back
window opening positioned on an outer side in a vehicle width
direction, wherein the window frame portion of the inner panel has
a substantially groove-shaped cross-section, and includes a bottom
portion abutting on a water-tight rubber attached to a peripheral
edge of the door opening, and an inner vertical wall positioned on
an inner side in a vehicle width direction to be connected to the
bottom portion, the bottom portion has a projecting portion
projecting toward the door opening at an inner end in a vehicle
width direction, and when the door opening is closed, a surface of
the inner vertical wall on an inner side in a vehicle width
direction is substantially flush with an interior trim surface
attached to an inner periphery of the door opening.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent
Application No. 2017-245372 filed on Dec. 21, 2017, which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety including the
specification, claims, drawings, and abstract.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a structure of a resin
back door for a vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Vehicles which include opening portions positioned at rear
end portions thereof and that are opened and closed by back doors
have been widely used, facilitating access to cargo spaces
positioned in back of rear seats of the vehicles.
[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, many vehicle doors made of
resin have been used. The doors made of resin have a reduced weight
but ensuring rigidity is difficult as compared with doors made from
steel plate. For this reason, a structure has been proposed to
mount a metal reinforcing member in a hollow space defined by a
resin inner panel and a resin outer panel (e.g., see JP 5846036
B).
SUMMARY
[0005] Incidentally, in related art, a steel back door 300 as
illustrated in FIG. 6 includes a door interior trim 260 being a
resin component constituting an interior design surface that is
attached on the interior side. The steel back door 300 includes a
steel frame 70 formed by a groove-shaped inner panel 71, a
hat-shaped outer panel 72, and a groove-shaped reinforcing member
73 which are assembled by welding, and the door interior trim 260
attached to the frame 70 on the interior side of a door opening 78
of a back window 12. The door interior trim 260 is mounted so as to
be close to body interior trims 250 and 251 which are attached on
the interior side of a body inner panel 216 positioned at a body
rear end portion 210 and constitute a design surface. As
illustrated in FIG. 6, a gap between the body interior trim 251 and
the door interior trim 260 is reduced to s2 so that a water-tight
rubber 230 disposed between the steel back door 300 and the body
rear end portion 210 is concealed from the interior, improving the
appearance of a rear side of the vehicle when viewed from an
interior of the vehicle.
[0006] In contrast, unlike the steel back door 300, the door
interior trim 260 as a separate component does not need to be
attached to a resin back door, since a surface on the interior side
of a resin inner panel constitutes a design surface. However, as
illustrated in FIG. 6, a gap between the body interior trim 251 and
the inner panel 71 increases to s3 and the water-tight rubber 230
is sometimes seen from the interior, resulting in poor appearance
of a rear side of the vehicle when viewed from an interior of the
vehicle.
[0007] It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to
provide a resin back door which improves the appearance of a rear
side of a vehicle when viewed from an interior of the vehicle.
Solution to Problem
[0008] A resin back door according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure is a resin back door for a vehicle for opening and
closing a door opening at a body rear end portion. The resin back
door includes a resin inner panel including a window frame portion
for a back window opening positioned on an outer side in a vehicle
width direction. In the resin back door, the window frame portion
of the inner panel has a substantially groove-shaped cross-section,
and includes a bottom portion abutting on a water-tight rubber
attached to a peripheral edge of the door opening, and an inner
vertical wall positioned on an inner side in a vehicle width
direction to be connected to the bottom portion. The bottom portion
has a projecting portion projecting toward the door opening at an
inner end in a vehicle width direction. When the door opening is
closed, a surface of the inner vertical wall on an inner side in a
vehicle width direction is substantially flush with an interior
trim surface attached to an inner periphery of the door
opening.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a
resin back door for a vehicle improves the appearance of a rear
side of a vehicle when viewed from an interior of the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] Embodiment(s) of the present disclosure will be described by
reference to the following figures, wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle to which a resin
back door according to an embodiment is attached;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A (a
cross-section of a left side portion of a body rear end portion) of
FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the resin back door
according to an embodiment;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a resin back door
according to an embodiment;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-section taken
along line A-A of FIG. 1 (the cross-section of the left side
portion of the body rear end portion) and a cross-section taken
along line B-B of FIG. 3 (a cross-section of a left window frame
portion of the resin back door) when a door opening is closed by
the resin back door; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cross-section of a
left side portion of a body rear end portion and a cross-section of
a left window frame portion of a steel back door when a door
opening is closed by the steel back door according to the related
art.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Hereinafter, a resin back door 100 of a vehicle 200
according to the present embodiment will be described with
reference to the drawings. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the resin back
door 100 is a hatch door turnably attached to a roof panel 13 of a
body rear end portion 210 of the vehicle 200 via a pair of right
and left hinges 75 provided at an upper end portion of the resin
back door 100, and turned vertically about the hinges 75 as
indicated by an arrow 99 to open and close a door opening 220
defined in the body rear end portion 210.
[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the body rear end portion 210 has
a left side portion 210L including a body outer panel 211, a body
inner panel 212, a trough panel 213, a water-tight rubber 230, and
an inner garnish 240 as an interior trim. The body outer panel 211
constitutes a design surface 210a positioned on the outside of the
body rear end portion 210. The body inner panel 212 is a panel
positioned on an interior side. The trough panel 213 is a panel
attached between the body outer panel 211 and the body inner panel
212 to constitute a groove-shaped trough 14. As illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2, between the trough 14 and an inner panel 20 of the
resin back door 100, damper stays 60 are mounted to reduce an
operation force for opening the resin back door 100 and maintain
the opening state. The right side and the left side are described
as the right side and the left side as viewed from a rear side of
the vehicle.
[0019] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the trough panel 213 has an inner
end in a vehicle width direction having an L-shaped flange
projecting to the rear side of the vehicle or toward the resin back
door 100. Furthermore, the body inner panel 212 has a rear end in a
vehicle longitudinal direction overlappingly connected to the
flange of the trough panel 213 to form a collar portion 212e
protruding to the rear side of the vehicle or toward the resin back
door 100. The collar portion 212e defines a peripheral edge of the
door opening 220. The water-tight rubber 230 is attached to a
vehicle-rearward end of the collar portion 212e.
[0020] The water-tight rubber 230 is a packing interposed between
the collar portion 212e and the inner panel 20 to prevent intrusion
of water into the interior from between the resin back door 100 and
the body rear end portion 210. The water-tight rubber 230 includes
a main body 230a, a packing portion 230b, and a lip 230c. The main
body 230a includes a holding lip internally provided to hold the
collar portion 212e from both sides. The packing portion 230b,
projecting to a vehicle-rearward side of the main body 230a, is
held and compressed between the collar portion 212e and the inner
panel 20. The lip 230c projects to the inner side in a vehicle
width direction from the main body 230a. As illustrated in FIG. 2,
the water-tight rubber 230 is configured so that when the main body
230a is attached to the collar portion 212e, the packing portion
230b projects toward the resin back door 100.
[0021] The body inner panel 212 has an inner side positioned on an
interior side in a vehicle width direction, and the inner garnish
240 is attached on the inner side. The inner garnish 240 is
provided on the inner side of the collar portion 212e defining the
peripheral edge of the door opening 220, in a vehicle width
direction. The inner garnish 240 includes an end portion 240e
positioned on the rear side of the vehicle. The end portion 240e is
held between the lip 230c of the water-tight rubber 230 and an
outer surface of the main body 230a so that the end portion 240e
does not move relative to the water-tight rubber 230 and the collar
portion 212e. The inner garnish 240 includes a design surface 240a
on the inner side in a vehicle width direction or on the interior
side to constitute an inner peripheral surface of the door opening
220.
[0022] Although the left side portion 210L of the body rear end
portion 210 has been described above, a right side portion 210R and
the left side portion 210L are symmetrical to each other and have
the same configuration.
[0023] The resin back door 100 includes a resin upper outer panel
10 and a lower outer panel 15, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and the
resin inner panel 20 and a metal reinforcing member 40 fixed to the
inner panel 20, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The reinforcing member 40
includes a left reinforcing member 41L, a right reinforcing member
41R, a lower-side reinforcing member 47, a left corner connecting
member 46L, and a right corner connecting member 46R.
[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the inner panel 20 has an upper
side portion 21, a left window frame portion 22L and a right window
frame portion 22R, a lower left portion 23L and a lower right
portion 23R, and a lower side portion 24. The upper side portion 21
has a back window opening 35 which is defined in the center and to
which the upper outer panel 10 is assembled above the back window
opening 35. The left window frame portion 22L and a right window
frame portion 22R are positioned on the outer sides of the back
window opening 35 in a vehicle width direction. The lower left
portion 23L and the lower right portion 23R are positioned below
the back window opening 35 on the outer sides in a vehicle width
direction to receive the lower outer panel 15 assembled. On both
right and left sides of the upper side portion 21 of the inner
panel 20, bolt holes 38 are provided to attach the hinges 75.
[0025] The left reinforcing member 41L has a closed-section
structure having a substantially L shape along the upper side
portion 21, the left window frame portion 22L, and the lower left
portion 23L of the inner panel 20. The right reinforcing member 41R
has a closed-section structure having a substantially L shape along
the upper side portion 21, the right window frame portion 22R, and
the lower right portion 23R of the inner panel 20. The left
reinforcing member 41L includes an upper left shoulder portion 42L,
and an upper left arm portion 43L and a lower left arm portion 44L.
The upper left shoulder portion 42L is assembled to be opposed to
the upper side portion 21 of the inner panel 20. The upper left arm
portion 43L and the lower left arm portion 44L are assembled to be
opposed to the left window frame portion 22L and the lower left
portion 23L of the inner panel 20, respectively, to extend in a
vehicle vertical direction. The upper left shoulder portion 42L has
an upper side provided with a recessed portion 42U, and the
recessed portion 42U has bolt holes 48 for attaching a hinge.
[0026] The right reinforcing member 41R is symmetrical to the left
reinforcing member 41L, and includes an upper right shoulder
portion 42R, and an upper right arm portion 43R and a lower right
arm portion 44R, and the upper right shoulder portion 42R has an
upper side provided with a recessed portion 42V in which bolt holes
48 are provided.
[0027] The left corner connecting member 46L is a member having a
substantially L shape to connect a lower end portion 45L of the
left reinforcing member 41L and a left end 47L of the lower-side
reinforcing member 47. The right corner connecting member 46R is a
member having a substantially L shape to connect a lower end
portion 45R of the right reinforcing member 41R and a right end 47R
of the lower-side reinforcing member 47.
[0028] In the resin back door 100, bolts are inserted through the
bolt holes 38 of the inner panel 20 and the bolt holes 48 in both
of the left reinforcing member 41L and the right reinforcing member
41R, and nuts are fastened from the opposite side. Thus, the resin
back door 100 is fastened to the hinges 75 fixed to right and left
sides of the roof panel 13.
[0029] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the upper left arm portion 43L of
the left reinforcing member 41L, the upper portion of the lower
outer panel 15, and a back window glass 12a are assembled to the
left window frame portion 22L of the inner panel 20.
[0030] The left window frame portion 22L of the inner panel 20
includes a groove portion 22a, an inner flange 22c, and an outer
flange 22d. The groove portion 22a has a substantially
groove-shaped cross-section of substantially U shape recessed to
the front side in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The groove
portion 22a includes a bottom portion 22b on the front side in a
vehicle longitudinal direction, an inner vertical wall 22h on the
inner side in a vehicle width direction, and an outer vertical wall
22j on the outer side in a vehicle width direction.
[0031] The bottom portion 22b includes a bottom surface 22k and a
projecting portion 22m. The bottom surface 22k is positioned on the
front side in a vehicle longitudinal direction and abuts on the
water-tight rubber 230 attached to the peripheral edge of the door
opening 220 of the body rear end portion 210. The projecting
portion 22m projects toward the door opening 220 at an inner end in
a vehicle width direction. The inner vertical wall 22h on the inner
side in a vehicle width direction of the groove portion 22a is
connected to the projecting portion 22m of the bottom portion 22b
and extends to the rear side in a vehicle longitudinal direction.
The outer vertical wall 22j on the outer side in a vehicle width
direction of the groove portion 22a extends to the rear side from
the bottom portion 22b in a vehicle longitudinal direction to be
connected to the inner flange 22c. The inner flange 22c bends and
extends to the outer side in a vehicle width direction, from a rear
end of the outer vertical wall 22j of the bottom portion 22b
positioned in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and is connected to
the outer flange 22d extending to the outer side in a vehicle width
direction. An outer side of the outer flange 22d in a vehicle width
direction is formed as a parting portion 22e positioned on the
outer side in a vehicle width direction of the inner panel 20.
[0032] An upper portion of the lower outer panel 15 has an outer
portion in a vehicle width direction assembled to the outer flange
22d of the left window frame portion 22L of the inner panel 20 with
an adhesive 51 at a strip-shaped portion projecting upward on the
outer side in a vehicle width direction, and an inner side portion
in a vehicle width direction extends to the inner side in a vehicle
width direction to cover the groove portion 22a of the inner panel
20. A hollow space 18 is formed between the upper portion of the
lower outer panel 15 and the groove portion 22a of the inner panel
20, and the upper left arm portion 43L of the left reinforcing
member 41L is disposed in the hollow space 18.
[0033] The upper left arm portion 43L of the left reinforcing
member 41L has a substantially square annular closed-section
structure, and includes collar portions 43c and 43d projecting to
the outer side in a vehicle width direction and to the rear side in
a vehicle longitudinal direction, respectively. The upper left arm
portion 43L of the left reinforcing member 41L includes an inner
plate 43a and an outer plate 43b. The inner plate 43a is positioned
near the inner panel 20 and includes collars having a substantially
U shape extending to the outer side in a vehicle width direction
and to the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the
outer plate 43b has a bending plate formed to close an opening side
of the inner plate 43a of U-shape and includes collars on both
sides to be assembled to the collars of the inner plate 43a. Joint
portions between the collars of the inner plate 43a and the collars
of the outer plate 43b constitute the collar portions 43c and 43d,
respectively. A surface 43f of a bottom portion of the inner plate
43a of the left reinforcing member 41L is arranged to a surface 22f
of the groove portion 22a of the inner panel 20 leaving a gap d1
and is fixed thereto with an adhesive 50. A surface 43g of the
collar portion 43c of the left reinforcing member 41L near the
inner panel 20 is arranged at a surface 22g of the inner flange 22c
of the inner panel 20 leaving a gap d2 and is fixed thereto with an
adhesive 50. The outer plate 43b and the upper part of the lower
outer panel 15 are separated from each other. The lower outer panel
15 is assembled onto the outer flange 22d of the inner panel 20 via
a urethane material 52, and the back window glass 12a is attached
onto the rear side of the upper portion of the lower outer panel 15
in a vehicle longitudinal direction.
[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 5, when the door opening 220 is
closed by the resin back door 100, the bottom surface 22k of the
bottom portion 22b of the inner panel 20 presses the packing
portion 230b of the water-tight rubber 230 against the collar
portion 212e at the peripheral edge of the door opening 220.
Furthermore, an end of the projecting portion 22m of the bottom
portion 22b on the side of the door opening 220 extends toward the
door opening 220 to a position overlapping the packing portion 230b
in a vehicle width direction. A gap between the end of the
projecting portion 22m and the end portion 240e of the inner
garnish 240 on the rear side of the vehicle decreases to s1.
[0035] Furthermore, a design surface 22n of the inner vertical wall
22h on the inner side in a vehicle width direction is substantially
flush with the design surface 240a of the inner garnish 240 on the
inner side in a vehicle width direction or on the interior side,
where the inner garnish 240 constitutes the design surface of the
inner periphery of the door opening 220.
[0036] As described above, when the door opening 220 is closed by
the resin back door 100, the gap between the end of the projecting
portion 22m of the bottom portion 22b of the inner panel 20 and the
end portion 240e of the inner garnish 240 on the rear side of the
vehicle decreases. Thus, the water-tight rubber 230 is concealed
when viewing the rear side of the vehicle from the interior, and
the appearance of the rear side of the vehicle when viewed from the
interior can be improved. Furthermore, the design surface 22n of
the inner vertical wall 22h on the inner side in a vehicle width
direction is substantially flush with the design surface 240a of
the inner garnish 240 as an interior trim surface on the inner side
in a vehicle width direction or on the interior side so that the
design surface 22n of the inner panel 20 on the inner side in a
vehicle width direction constitutes an integrated design surface
extending to the design surface 240a in the door opening 220 on the
inner side in a vehicle width direction. Thus, the configuration
provides an integrated design of the interior inner surface and
improvement in the appearance.
* * * * *